The invention relates to a generator of electric and magnetic fields, particularly incorporating a super-toroidal conductor. The invention also relates to a corresponding detector of electric and magnetic fields and to a sample analyzer and treatment apparatus incorporating the field generator and/or detector.
The use of toroidal windings as electromagnetic radiating antennas is known, e.g. from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,622,558, 4,751,515, 5,442,369 and 5,654,723. However, none of these prior patents contemplate the use of a super-toroidal winding for generating an electromagnetic field. Further, the last two patents are particularly concerned with ensuring that a toroidal antenna can be designed to operate at a particular frequency to produce an electromagnetic field, equivalent to that produced by classic electric or magnetic dipole antennas.
An object of the present invention is the generation of a varying electric and magnetic fields using a super-toroidally wound conductor. In this context, a super-toroidal conductor is one in which the windings of a toroidally wound conductor are constituted by helical windings. Further explanation of super-toroidal conductors of various orders will be given later herein. Another object of the present invention is the generation of periodically varying electric and magnetic fields with strong spatial inhomogeneousity, that is fields with high spatial gradients of the field""s amplitudes by comparison with the typical dipole electric or magnetic field produced by a radiating antenna. A further object of the present invention is the detection of electric and magnetic fields of this kind using a super-toroidal conductor as a detecting element.
A still further object of the present invention is the analysis of samples using strongly inhomogeneous fields generated by super-toroidal conductors.
A still further object of the present invention is the treatment of specimens using such strongly inhomogeneous periodically varying fields.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a field generator comprising at least one super-toroidal conductor and means to energize the super-toroidal conductor to generate varying electric and magnetic fields. Where conductor has a length l, the super-toroidal conductor should be energized with at least one frequency component equal to or greater than 2c/l, where c is the speed of light in free space. Then the near field generated at this frequency close to the super-toroidal conductor will have a strongly inhomogeneous spatial distribution similar or more complex than that generated by four or more electric charges and/or current loops. At any particular moment in time, the amplitudes of the electric and magnetic fields components of such a complex field change significantly over a distance comparable with the smallest winding feature of the super-toroidal conductor. Such a strongly inhomogeneous field can be distinguished from the classic electromagnetic fields produced in the prior art.
The invention also provides a detector for electric and magnetic fields comprising at least one super-toroidal conductor and means responsive to electrical currents generated in said conductor by varying electric and magnetic fields.
Examples of the invention provide a sample analyzer comprising a chamber, and a sample holder within the chamber. The chamber contains at least a first super-toroidal conductor having at least the length l. This super-toroidal conductor is energized to generate oscillating electric and magnetic field in the region of any sample on the sample holder. The electromagnetic field varies with a frequency component equal to or greater than 2c/l to produce a strongly spatial inhomogeneous field. Then the response of the generated field to the presence of a sample on the sample holder is determined, so that an analysis can be made.
The invention also provides treatment apparatus for treating a desired component of a specimen. The apparatus comprises a treatment super-toroidal conductor having a length l. The treatment super-toroidal conductor is energized at a frequency or set of frequencies or continuous band of frequencies greater than 2c/l to produce strongly inhomogeneous electric and magnetic fields. The specimen is exposed to this field and the frequency or set of frequencies or continuous band of frequencies is selected to provide the required treatment of the desired component of the specimen. In order to select the required frequency or set of frequencies or continuous band of frequencies for treatment, a sample corresponding to the desired component of the specimen to be treated may be analyzed in the above described sample analyzer. The treatment frequency or set of frequencies or continuous band of frequencies is then selected in accordance with the response determined in the sample analyzer. In this way, treatment of predominantly or only selected components of a specimen can be ensured by incorporating a sample of the desired component in the associated sample analyzer.
For treatment purposes the electromagnetic field may be modulated by a low frequency signal within a band of from 0.001 to 1000 cycles per second.
Examples of the present invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings.